Acer unveils a pair of big and fast 1440p FreeSync monitors with HDR support

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Both displays have a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time.

Acer has expanded its gaming monitor line with two new curved displays that support AMD's game-smoothing FreeSync technology. They include the 27-inch XZ271U and 31.5-inch XZ321QU.

The new models both wield a VA panel with a 2560x1440 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and 1ms MPRT (motion picture response time). If you're not familiar with MPRT, it's a method for measuring motion blur and is commonly used on VA panels. This is different than what most TN and IPS panels advertise, which is the time it takes a pixel to go from one state to another, usually listed as GTG (gray to gray).

Acer is listing these monitors as supporting HDR, though the rated brightness checks in at 300 nits for both displays. Ideally, an HDR monitor would be capable of hitting 1,000 nits or more, as is the case with Acer's own Predator X27 and Asus's ROG Swift PG27UQ. It's not uncommon to find monitor makers adding HDR support to monitors that don't get quite as bright, though the rated brightness here is definitely on the lower end of the spectrum—even VESA's entry-level DisplayHDR 400 certification call for at least 400 nits.

The bigger selling points are the fast refresh rate and FreeSync support. These monitors also have a few extra perks, including a pair of built-in 7W speakers with DTS sound, four downstream USB 3.0 ports, and plenty of display inputs:

  • 1 x DisplayPort 1.2
  • 1 x mini DisplayPort 1.2
  • 2 x HDMI 2.0

According to Anandtech, these monitors debuted in Japan last week at 48,000 yen ($427) for the 27-inch model and 55,000 yen ($490) for the 31.5-inch model. Both are also now available in the US at Amazon, though at higher prices—$529.43 for the 27-inch display (third-party seller) and $549.99 for the 31.5-inch model.

Paul Lilly
Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).